Few people think about taking care of their garbage disposal, but following a few simple rules can make it possible to avoid a costly plumbing repair. Fortunately, we here at Reeves Family Plumbing think about garbage disposal systems a lot. Follow these tips to conduct proper garbage disposal maintenance this year.

Start by making a resolution to run your disposal at least once a day. Allowing large quantities of food to build up can make it hard for the motor to turn. This can cause the disposal to burn out quickly.

On the same note, think about what you are putting down your disposal. While many modern garbage disposals can handle a large amount of food, they have issues with things that are particularly large or hard. To avoid problems, never put anything down your sink that isn’t food. A good rule of thumb is that if your teeth can’t bite through it, your disposal can’t either. Also avoid cramming food waste into the disposal.

Next, take a few simple steps every month to take care of your disposal. About once a month clean your sink thoroughly and run the disposal for a full minute to make sure that there are no food particles in the blade system. Then, place about five ice cubes into the sink. With the water running, have the garbage disposal chew up the ice cubes. This will clean and sharpen the blades. If you notice any bad odors coming from the garbage disposal, pour about one quarter cup of lemon juice over the ice cubes (or use frozen lemon juice). This will deodorize your entire garbage disposal system.

Garbage disposal issues can still come up even when you follow these rules. Over the years, the professionals at Reeves Family Plumbing have seen just about everything. If you need help with your garbage disposal system, give your friendly and helpful Coppell plumber a call at 214-989-4906.